Measurement of currents through conductor wires performed in a contactless manner (e.g., without coming into contact with or breaking the wire) is useful for diagnostic, operational, and protection purposes in many applications, such as residential, industrial, and automotive applications. Electrical clamp meters and other current measuring apparatuses using magnetic sensors, e.g. Hall effect sensors, can be used for this purpose. However, current measurements using magnetic sensors present various challenges. One challenge is in achieving accurate measurements without precise control of the placement of the wire with respect to the current measuring apparatus. In addition, accurate measurement of a current flowing through a wire can be challenging when there are other current-carrying wires located nearby, because the current flowing through such other wires can interfere with the desired current measurement. Other challenges include simultaneous current measurement through multiple wires, ability to perform both alternating current (AC) measurements and direct current (DC) measurements, and ability to provide a current measurement apparatus that is not too bulky for use in tight spaces.
Techniques for contactless current measurement using magnetic sensors that can improve on one or more of these challenges would be desirable.